not precisely like that - I've seen some where they look for agreement between reviewers or if there's a difference in quality of reviews if the reviewer is notified that the review will be shown to the author and other interventions. Did you look at the citing articles below the abstract on the Science website? One in that group looked like it might - Christina Pikas

Been through that - and most are not quite what I'm after (and most are political posturing anyway I think). Preparing a comment on http://www.nature.com/news... - Cameron Neylon

oh and there's this new one about if the reviews (journal article peer review - not grant) were received in a different order DOI: 10.1087/2009207 - Christina Pikas

Also found http://tinyurl.com/c53asw (can't read full text but abstract seems to support my position) and http://tinyurl.com/c4bneq but there is much more on papers than on grant funding. - Cameron Neylon

and this one http://tinyurl.com/d2o892 but again only abstract - Cameron Neylon

Christina actually that Bornmann paper (http://tinyurl.com/cecsow) is particularly apposite to the point I am making - Cameron Neylon

sent comment now - not sure whether it is showing but I pressed the button - Cameron Neylon

It's showing. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. How about submitting it as a correspondence to the journal? - Bob O'Hara

Seconding Bob's proposal -- excellent comment, should be widely read. - Bill Hooker

Dorothea - I agree it has always been a lottery but previously it wasn't actually a game of Russian roulette (with, you will note, three barrels loaded) - Cameron Neylon